. >>> in this fiscal cliff mess, i don't know whether we need a presidential historian, a political strategist or hostage negotiator to help out in the talks now at this point. either way it's getting close to deadline. this morning we have brand new details about the negotiations. that's next. gulf. bp has paid over twenty-three billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. >>> welcome back. 43 minutes past the hour. soledad o'brien is with us with a look at what's coming up on "st